Brass-founder&#39;s melting-furnace.



UNrrn grates ALBERT J. \VEATHERHEAD AND EDWVARD H. XVEATHERHEAD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BRASS-FOUNDERS MELTING-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,213, dated January 14, 1902.

Application filed June 11,1901.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT J. XVEATHE R- HEAD and EDWARD H. WEATHERHEAD, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brass-Founders Melting- Furnaces; and we do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to brass-founders melting-furnaces; and the object of the invention is. to providea furnace in which there are especial and advan tageous'improvements in both the cover and in the grate supporting and controlling mechanism at the bottomof the furnace, as well as in other parts, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of one of our furnaces complete, and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation thereof and of the pit and wall about the same.

In the views we have shown a single furnace; but usually there are a series or battery of furnaces set Within operating relation of each other in a continuous pit. The pit is here shown walled up, as usual, and has such depth and width as the present construction requires, the elevation of the furnace, the drop of the grate, and room to work being taken into consideration.

The furnace proper is builtin this instance upon two parallel beams A, of any suitable size and shape, spaced apart to afford room for the grate between them, and a suitable base-plate 00 serves to support the entire furnace as such on the said beams. The body of the furnace is comprised in an outer metallic and preferably cylindrical shell b and a suitable fire-brick or other prepared lining b, and the said body comes up flush with the surface of the floor above. Flue b serves as a draft-outlet from the side and top of the furnace.

Other and novel features are cover 0 and grate D.

Many differentforms and styles of furnacejection 3 is covers have been and are now being used,

Serial No. 64,070 (No model.)

and these vary largely in construction and convenience; but none, so far as we know and believe, have ever before been known or made which embody the features and operating advantages of this invention. Thus our cover is dome-shaped, preferably with a straight edge adapted to rest closely on the seatingring 0 beneath. It will be seen that this ring is separate from the top plate O',which serves to protect said plate from the action of the furnace. lleretofore only a top plate was used, and it was sure to become warped or burned out at its inner edge, so as to require replacing by a new plate. Being large, this was expensive. WVe use aseating-ring which takes all the heat exposure and can be cheaply replaced when necessary; so our top plate 0 will last indefinitely, and this works much economy in operating the furnace.

The cover 0, as here shown, is of much more than ordinary weight, and as we design that it shall have only a horizontal rotation to and from the top of the furnace we have provided it with a counterbalance-arm E in a separate piece, preferably, though it may be cast with the cover. Said arm when separate can best be fixed to a top post 7 of the cover by a single bolt, as here shown, and is balanced on a vertical pivot-post 2 on plate 0. The outer portion 0 of the arm is designed to be of a weight which will largely counterbalance all the weight on the other side of post 2, making comparatively easy the rotation of the cover from one position to another, and a proprovided on the cover, which can be engaged with a poker or even the toe of ones shoe to swing the cover horizontally around from over the furnace and back again with ease. This construction and means of support insures having the cover always swing back into right position and at the same time affords an easy and very convenient movement when it has to be moved. It

also protects the attendant from the heat that shoots up when the furnace is uncovered. I

The construction and operation of grate D are equally simple and convenient. Always hitherto, so far as we know and believe, it has been necessary for the furnaceman to go down into the furnace-pit to open the grate ICO or grate-bars and dump the furnace. Usually single grate-bars have to be drawn out one at a time, making the job intolerably hot and prolonged. Hence this has always been a task from which men would naturally shrink and many could not perform; but by our improvement there is no need of entering the pit at all for this purpose, grate D being pivoted or hinged at its rear on cars or hangers 4 or their equivalent at the bottom of the furnace and adapted to be raised and lowered at its front by means of a chain G or other equivalent mechanism connected to lever 5 on the grate. .A catch or hook 6 above serves to hold the chain and grate up, and ventilating grate or cover H closes the top of the pit next to the furnace. When dumping is done, the chain is released from its hook and the grate swings into a suspended position, (dotted lines, Fig. 2,) and the furnace contents drop out and by the next morning are cool enough to be removed. Chain G has sulficient length to accommodate these operations and remain in reach above, and any suitable substitute mechanism for the chain mustaccommodate itself to the swing of the grate.

The cover 0 is necessarily of such thickness as to withstand the terrific heat of the furnace; but if the cover should warp or crack a new one can be substituted, and we shall still retain and use the counterbalancearm E.

A further feature of practical desirability is here noted in the means for fastening said arm to the cover. Thus it will be seen that the fastening-bolt is entirely on the outside of said cover and not exposed to the direct flames of the furnace-fire and is therefore in no danger of burning the heads or nuts thereon, as it otherwise would be if the bolts passed through the cover.

What we claim is 1. In brass-melting furnaces, a furnace, a cover therefor, a counterweighted arm engaged with said cover and having a cavity on its under side near the edge of the cover, and a fixed post 2 entering said cavity and serving as a pivot-point for said arm and cover and on which they are laterally rotatable, substantially as described.

2. The furnace and the cover, in combination with a counterweighted arm attached to the cover, a vertical pivot-post 2 on the top of the furnace on which the cover rests and is adapted to be horizontally rotated, and a projection 3 on the front of the cover, substantially as described.

Witness our hands to the foregoing specification this 11th day of May, 1901.

ALBERT J. VVEATHERI-IEAD. EDWARD H. YVEATHERHEAD. Witnesses:

R. B. MosER, H. E. MUDRA. 

